Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-09-08
Allan Qaa'EesHaiis;
A BROWNING CITY.
By FL. Rider Haggard, Author O.
"KiuE Solomon's Mines, "Sne", "Do w.

round the hill and are moving toward the
old stone kraal down by the little stream
My father, make strong thy hearth In the
midst Of them / saw the white ass, and on
it sat the Waterlily (Flossie). An Elmoran
young warrior) led the ass, and by its side
walked the nurse, weeping The men who
went with her in the morning I saw not. u
''Was the child alive?" asked Mr.. Mac
kenzie, hoarsely
''She was white as the dead but well, nv
father They passed quite close to me, and
looking up from where l lay hid, [ saw her
face against the sky"
GOOD help her and usI' groaned the cler-
gyman.
Chow many are there of them?' L asked.
More than two hundred-two hundred
and huff hundred
Once more we looked one on the other.
What was to be done? Just then there
rose loud, insistent cry outside the wall.
'Open the door, white man; open the
doorl A herald-a herald to speak with
thee" Thus cried the voice.
UmslOpOgaas ran to the wall, and, reach
ing with his long arms to the coping,
lifted his head above it and gazed over
81 see but one man." he said. HE is
armed and carries basket in his hand''
"Open the door, said. "Umslopogaas,
take thine ak and stand thereby. Let one
man pass. If another follow, STAY"
The door was unbarred. In the shadow
of the wall stood Umslopogaas, his ak
raised above his head to strike Just then
the moon came out. There was a mo-
ment's pause, and then in stalked a Nasal
Elmoran, clad in full war panopIy that I
have already described but bearing a large
basket in his hand. The moonlight shone
brightly upon his great spear as lie walked.
He was physically a splendid man appar-
emily about thirty-five years of age. In
deed, none of the Nasal that [ saw were
under six feet high, though mostly quite
young. When he got opposite to us he
halted, put down the basket, and struck
the spike of his spear into the ground, so
that it stood upright.
Let us talk" he cried. '"The first mes
senger we sent to you could not talk;' and
he pointed to the head that lay upon the
paving OF the stoop-a CHASTITY sight in the
moonlight; "but have words to speak if
ye have ears to hear. Also I bring pres
ents;" and he pointed to the basket and
laughed with an air of staggering insol-
ence that is perfectly indescribable, and
yetwhich one could not but admire, seeing
that he was surrounded by enemies
Say on, said Mr.. Mackenzie.
L am the Lygonani' (war captain) of a
part of the Nasal of the Guasa Amboni
and my men followed those three white
men," and he pointed to Sir Henry, Good
and myself; ''but they were too clever for
us, and escaped hither. We have a quarrel
with them, and are going to kill them"
Arso f,,.a T
In following these men we this morn
ing caught two black men, one black wom-
an, white donkey, and white girl One
OF the black men we killed-there is his
head upon the pavement; the other ran
away. The black woman, the little girl,
and the white ass we took and brought
with us. In proof thereof have [ brought
this basket that she carried. Is it not thy
daughters basket.
Mr.. Mackenzie nodded, and the warrior
went on.
'Goodl With thee and thy daughter we
have no quarrel, nor do we wish to harm
thee, save as to thy cattle, which we have
already gathered, two hundred and forty
head-a beast for every mans father" (The
Nasal Elmoran, or young warrior, can own
no property, so all the booty they may win
Here Mr.. Mackenzie gave a groan, as
he greatly valued this herd of cattle, which
he bred with much care and trouble
so, save for the cattle, thou mayst go
free; more especially" he added frankly,
glancing at the wall, "as this place would
be difficult one to take. But as to these
men, it is otherwise; we have followed
them for eight days, and must kill them.
w n rot II1sy tn l-Ya al NI011+
having done so, all the girls would make a
mock of us. &c. however troublesome it
may be, they must die.
Now have proposition for thine ear.
We would not harm the little girl; she is
too fair to harm, and has besides brave
spirit. Give US one of these three men-a
life for life-and we will let her go, and
throw in the black woman with her also.
This is fair offer, white man. We ask
but for one, not for the three; we must
take another opportunity to kill the other
two. do not even pick my man. though
[ should prefer the big one," pointing to
Sir Henry; che looks strong, and would
take long to die"
"And if L say L will not yield the mann"
said Mr. Mackenzie
NAY, say not so, white man." answered
OAlS AhSeoo1, 1O4 ClACI yOlll uotuSllSI ulSS dit
dawn; and the woman with her says YOU
have no other child. Were she older I
would take her for a servant; but as she
is SO young l will slay her with my own
hand-ay, with this very spear Thou
canst come and see, an thou wilt. 1 give
thee safe conduct" and the fiend laughed
aloud at his brutal jest.
Meanwhile 1 had been thinking rapidly,
as one does in emergencies, and had come
TO the conclusion that l would exchange
myself against FloSSie. | scarcely like to
mention the matter for fear it should be
misunderstood Pray do not let any one
be misled into thinking that there was
anything heroic about this, or any such
nonsense. 1t was merely matter O. COM
mon sense and common justice. My life
was an old and worthless one, hers was
young and valuable. Her death would
pretty nearly kill her father, and mother
also, whilst nobody would be much the
worse for mine; indeed, several charitable
Institutions would haye cause to rejoice
thereat. 1t was indirectly through me
that the dear little girl was in her present
position Lastly, man was better fitted